All the nation’s residing former prime ministers are asking Canadians to fly the purple maple leaf this weekend in an enormous show of nationwide pleasure because the nation stares down U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to its financial system and sovereignty.
Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper have collectively written an open letter, telling Canadians to “present the flag as by no means earlier than” because the nation contends with “threats and insults from Donald Trump.”
“Let’s fly our flag with pleasure. Let’s present the world that we’re pleased with our historical past and pleased with our nation,” the previous first ministers write.
“We have had our share of battles up to now. However all of us agree on one factor: Canada, the true north, robust and free, the most effective nation on the earth, is value celebrating and combating for.”
The 5 former prime ministers write they’ve “witnessed a surge of Canadian pleasure and patriotism” within the wake of Trump’s threats and they’re heartened to see so many individuals “come collectively to specific their love for our nation and their dedication to defend Canada’s values and our independence.”
Since his inauguration final month, Trump has repeatedly mocked Canada’s financial system and army and has threatened to make use of “financial drive” to one way or the other persuade Canadians to hitch the U.S. because the 51st state. Polls present Canadians are overwhelmingly against the concept.
Simply final weekend, Trump stated Canada was “not viable as a rustic” with out U.S. commerce, and warned that the founding NATO member can not rely on the U.S. for army safety.
After brokering a commerce battle pause with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau final week, Trump introduced Monday he’s going forward with punishing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian metal and aluminum in March.
U.S. tariff threats and the potential of a commerce battle are already having an affect on how some Canadians spend their cash, with many saying they’re boycotting American merchandise and shopping for Canadian.
These actions have prompted an outpouring of nationwide pleasure as many Canadians have opted to purchase home merchandise — there is a Made in Canada Fb group with nearly 900,000 members — and a few grocers are reporting buyers are outright boycotting American goods to protest Trump. There’s additionally been a decline in cross-border journeys with U.S. wait instances much shorter than usual at some ports of entry.
It is in that context that Clark, Campbell, Chrétien, Martin and Harper are asking Canadians to place the nation’s nationwide symbols on show as a present of power.
Saturday is Flag Day, which is held yearly to mark the primary time the purple and white maple leaf flag was raised on Parliament Hill on Feb. 15, 1965.
This 12 months is a very essential milestone — it has been 60 years for the reason that maple leaf changed the Canadian Pink Ensign.
That previous flag was dropped after a contentious debate.
Some Canadians, most notably former prime minister John Diefenbaker, wished to maintain the Pink Ensign, which prominently featured the Union Jack, as a result of it was a nod to Canada’s British roots but in addition as a result of troops fought and died below that flag in nation-defining conflicts.
Then-prime minister Lester Pearson, in the meantime, wished a flag that was distinctly Canadian to claim the nation’s unity and independence within the generally tumultuous post-Second World Battle interval, which was marked by an upswing in Quebecois separatism.
Amid a fierce political standoff, a parliamentary committee finally settled on historian George Stanley’s suggestion that the nation go along with a single maple leaf, a design impressed by the flag of the Royal Navy School.
Parliament accredited the change, after a fractious debate, and it was formally adopted when Queen Elizabeth issued a proclamation.
Opposition to the flag finally light away.
The federal government’s own data exhibits most Canadians regard the flag as one of the crucial essential symbols of the nation second solely to the Constitution of Rights and Freedoms however forward of the nationwide anthem, hockey and the RCMP.
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